Aamir Khan’s Satyamev Jayate

There are some points in life when you feel that nothing you do will ever make a change.

After living here in India for nearly three years, I’ve found myself getting to that point more often than not.

India is so beautiful and full of so many possibilities but hides so much atrocity that it breaks my heart.

India has so many other countries that she could learn from and not make the same mistakes they have.

But every time I’ve mentioned it, I hear things like:

“India is new in her freedom, she needs time.”

“These atrocity’s happen in the villages, not educated cities.”

“India isn’t like this. You can’t compare it to the decadent West.”

And then people blithely go about their lives, refusing to look around them or agitate for causes that do not directly affect them.

So, when Bear and I started seeing adverts on the TV for a new show by Aamir Khan, our first thought was…Aamir on TV? What’s this?

The advertisements were vague and mysterious. Since they were in Hindi, I wasn’t sure what was going on except that Aamir seemed impassioned. When I would ask my husband what Aamir was saying…he could only reply with “He’s talking about telling the truth, that the truth will set us free and how one shouldn’t be afraid of telling the truth.”

My question was “Telling the truth about what?”

“I don’t know…let’s wait and watch.” Was my husband’s reply.

So, we waited with baited breath until this past Sunday to see what truths Aamir was talking about.

And he took our breath away.

His new series is about the truths in India that we hide or hide from. It’s about the things that we must change. It’s about the things that we are doing to ruin our own reputations as Indians and Humans. It’s about truth…as hard and as straight forward as possible.

And it hurt to watch. But it was beautiful as well.

Aamir’s TV series is called Satyamev Jayate. It means Truth Stands Invincible.

In his series, Aamir travels India to learn what issues need to be addressed. If his first episode, Female Foeticide is any indication of his future episodes, he won’t gloss over these hard topics. He’ll shine the light of truth on the darkest corners of India’s heart.

He’ll help set us free…with truth.

In this episode about Female Foeticide, he had women on who were forced, sometimes without their knowledge or consent, to abort their female fetus. Two women testified that this happened to them not once or twice or even thrice…but countless times.

Aamir’s statistics were that every year, 10 Lakh female fetuses are aborted.

That this trend started in the 70’s with Government hospitals, that even after banning it spread to the private sector.

That Doctor’s accused and were guilty of this, have never had their licenses revoked and practice to this day.

That it is NOT the villages where this is happening, but the cities. And by educated families.

AND that a child’s sex is not determined by the Mother…but by the Father, a fact that many people are not aware of. Which explains why it’s always the Mother who is at fault for not giving a son.

So far the reception here in India to his show has been very positive and I pray that it remains this way.

No other person could carry these topics to the Indian people and have them be so received. Aamir is known for his character and activism. His celebrity allows this type of show to become greater than any other show with any other “host”.

At the end of the show, Aamir promised to write a letter to ask for harsher punishment to Doctors’ accused of doing this illegal act and asked people to text their support to the show by “signing” off their approval.

And my husband, who never sends texts to vote for anything, promptly texted “Y” for yes.

Please take a moment out of your busy schedule on Sunday’s at 11am to watch his next episode. Or perhaps watch it on YouTube or his sites link.

I’ll provide you with both here so that’s it’s easier for you. While they aren’t yet available in the states, we are hoping that they will be soon.

The show does have subtitles in English. From his site, you can view episodes in other languages of India.

13 thoughts on “Aamir Khan’s Satyamev Jayate”

i agree with you because in this time there many problem in our country and only amir khan is one of the that can solve this problem by shows this serial . that why people has alert and aamirji i shows yours serial. i am sure show this serial going to make some difference and please don’t stop it .

Yesterday night I saw”Satyamev Jayte” hardly 5-10 minutes. One of the burning issues was “Dowery” which waws being demanded even after marriage and at the eleventh hour husband left her wife alone by locking door.Being hungry about 4 days and getting deteriorating condition unltimately bride called American Ambulance service who too her away to hospital and later on parents were informed. There are many such cases.Alone Aamir Khan alone will not be able to fight against this evil. We will have to fight unitedly against this social stigma.His drastic approach is really very much commendable.

I have gone through the contents of Satyamev Jayte and as far as my experience is concerned this is because of our old belief, superstition encouraging people to proceed towards “Foeticide”. One of the reasons may be illicit physical contacts by the young generation involved in immoral activities. IVF centres are also responsibe for conducting such type of abortion twisting huge amount.We should train our youngesters against this misdeed. A Law must be framed providing capital punishment who are indulged in this profession.

I just heard about this show yesterday. Thanks for the links, I’ll look out for it. I’m impressed that it’s being done. It is never easy for a country to look deeply and critically at issues that are being swept aside by comments like, “Oh, it only happens in the countryside.”

I couldn’t agree with you more Indian Homemaker! Ever since I first moved here and saw the things that were going on, I would ask my husband “But why isn’t anyone doing anything about it?”.

The only thing he could say was that people get too wrapped up in what they think matters and loose sight of what REALLY matters. That we are all in a symbiotic relationship with one another…what happens to one, touches many.

DH and I watched it until we had to leave for an appointment, and to me it felt like Aamir is filling a big important gap into the Indian media providing an honest talk show in the same vein as Oprah’s one in US, just what this country needs right now, a big wake up call on issues that plague this country that has the potential to be so much more than she is.

And I agree that aamir is one of the few that can pull such thing and succeed, and I agree with Mohit too, Big B could have to, they both have the charisma and cool head to do it, and no ego getting in the way.

I just have some difference on thing. You said only Amir could have done this. I think Big B would have been as good as him. Specially considering his contribution to the success of Polio Campaign- Do Boond Zindagi ki.

I agree that Big B could also make a huge impact…but Aamir stay’s away from the media spotlight so much that it makes me feel like whatever he DOES do has a huge impact. People will scramble all the more to see what he’s exposing himself for. Maybe? I could be wrong…but still agree that Big B would also be an excellent proponent for a show like this!

I wish there were more “reality” TV shows like this all over the world!!!